Is TFA narrowly focused on student test scores?

Our focus extends far beyond student test scores. We work to ensure that the students we serve gain strong academic skills and knowledge; grow personally; develop social, political, and cultural consciousness; and gain access to opportunities in ways that are aligned with their own strengths, interests, and values.

In a 2015 paper, researchers found suggestive evidence that corps members had an impact on several non-tested outcomes. Students taught by corps members in elementary and middle school were less likely to miss school because of unexcused absences and suspensions than students taught by non-TFA teachers in the same school. Additionally, TFA-taught students in elementary school had slightly higher GPAs than their counterparts in non-TFA classrooms. The effects, small but statistically significant, shed light on how corps members positively impact aspects of student success not measured by test scores.